Manual

Main Tutorial Optimizing Layouts Dimensions

# Tutorial Exercise 2.1: Setting the Layout Dimensions

First you have to load a graph in uDraw(Graph) by using menu File/Open.... We suggest to use file "graph_example.udg" in the "samples/graphs" directory of the uDraw(Graph) distribution again (refer to tutorial section 1). Afterwards, start the graph layout algorithm with menu Layout/Improve All.

Now we will modify the dimensions of the current graph visualization. This can be done with the layout settings dialog, available after selecting menu Options/Layout Settings. In this dialog you can find an option button "Size (pt)" to set the font size (measured in points). Change the font size to 24. You can see that the other dimensions in this window are automatically adjusted to keep the layout proportional when the nodes become smaller or larger. This time the graph visualization is still the same, because the modification will take effect only after pressing the ok push button of the dialog. So press this button now. Afterwards the dialog window disappears and the graph is redrawn by using the new font size.

Now select menu Options/Layout Settings again to set some other dimensions. First, choose 10 as the new font size. Then move the "Gap Height" slider to 10 by using the mouse. This dimension specifies the vertical node distance between the horizontal levels (in pixel). Maybe it is not possible for you to choose a distance of 10 by moving the slider, because the next value after 9 is 11. In this case set it to 9 and click at the right side of the slider. This will move the slider one step to the right to get a 10. Finally set the Gap Width to 10 pixel, too. To do this in another way, select the text entry field between the "Gap Width" label and the slider, delete the current setting with the backspace key and type 10. The gap width is the minimal distance between the nodes at each level. The actual distance between two nodes may be greater than this value (to get a better layout with straighter edges), but never smaller. Press the ok button to use these settings and the graph will be redrawn in a much more compact way.

End of Exercise 2.1. Go back to the Section 2 Overview.